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LeBron James, Miami Heat dominate annual NBA GM survey

GMs overwhelmingly picked the Heat to win its third straight NBA championship and James to win his third consecutive Most Valuable Player award.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat celebrates after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 20, 2013 in Miami. (Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES FILE PHOTO)

By Sean HighkinUSA Today

Tues., Oct. 22, 2013

NBA.com released the results of the annual survey of its 30 general managers Tuesday, and not surprisingly, LeBron James and the Miami Heat ranked at the top.

GMs overwhelmingly picked the Heat to win its third straight NBA championship and James to win his third consecutive (and fifth overall) Most Valuable Player award.

In the survey, 75.9 per cent of GMs picked the Heat to win the title, with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs tying for second place with 6.9 per cent. The Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder also received votes.

James also won the preseason MVP poll in a landslide, receiving 69 per cent of votes. Thunder forward Kevin Durant came in second with 24.1 per cent, with Clippers point guard Chris Paul and New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony also placing.

Those weren’t the only categories James and the Heat dominated. When asked which player they would pick to start a franchise today, 89.7 per cent of GMs picked James. He also came in first on the list of players who force opposing coaches to make the most adjustments. He was named best small forward in the NBA by 86.7per cent of GMs, and placed third in the vote for best power forward in the league with 13.8 per cent of the vote. He was also voted most athletic, most dangerous in the open floor and best finisher at the rim.

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James also came in second in the categories of best defender in the league (trailing only Houston Rockets centre Dwight Howard) and best perimeter defender (behind Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen). Heat coach Erik Spoelstra tied for third place in the category of best coach in the NBA (behind the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich and the Clippers’ Doc Rivers). Heat guard Ray Allen was voted best in the league at moving without the ball and second-best pure shooter, behind the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry.

Jonas Valanciunas of the Raptors was voted the international player most likely to have a breakout season with 39.3 per cent, ahead of Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio (17.9 per cent).

Elsewhere, the Rockets were voted to have had the best offseason — the result of their luring of Howard away from the Lakers. Howard was overwhelmingly voted to be the player acquisition that would make the most impact, while the New Orleans Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday, Brooklyn Nets’ Andrei Kirilenko and Pacers’ Luis Scola tied for first in the category of most underrated player acquisition.

Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, dominated the rookie categories with 80 per cent of GMs picking him to win rookie of the year, while 40 per cent said he will be the best player of this draft class in five years.

Charlotte Bobcats centre Cody Zeller, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anthony Bennett, Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore and Boston Celtics centre Kelly Olynyk also finished in the top five in the latter question. The Toronto-born Olynk was also regarded as the biggest steal at where he was selected in the draft by 27.6 per cent of GMs. Olynyk was picked 13th by Boston. Ben McLemore (7), Sacramento and Nerlens Noel (6), Philadelphia tied for second at 13.8 per cent.

Paul was voted to have the highest basketball IQ and Spurs forward Tim Duncan was voted best leader. Kobe Bryant was voted toughest player.

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